From 29bb5c48b8ec9820c9514b4c6803cc00519bc759 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:48:02 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Give code outside basic_json the reference tokens of a
 json_pointer

detail::json_pointer_access returns the reference tokens of a pointer, so
that code resolving pointers without a basic_json value (such as the
zero-copy view) does not have to parse to_string() again. No change in
behavior.

Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>
---
 include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++
 single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp         | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 42 insertions(+)

diff --git a/include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp b/include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp
index 78074988e..a23c0c91e 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/detail/json_pointer.hpp
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@
 
 NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_BEGIN
 
+namespace detail
+{
+struct json_pointer_access;
+}  // namespace detail
+
 /// @brief JSON Pointer defines a string syntax for identifying a specific value within a JSON document
 /// @sa https://json.nlohmann.me/api/json_pointer/
 template<typename RefStringType>
@@ -43,6 +48,8 @@ class json_pointer
     template<typename>
     friend class json_pointer;
 
+    friend struct detail::json_pointer_access;
+
     template<typename T>
     struct string_t_helper
     {
@@ -1171,4 +1178,18 @@ inline bool operator<(const json_pointer<RefStringTypeLhs>& lhs,
 }
 #endif
 
+namespace detail
+{
+/// the reference tokens of a json_pointer, for code that resolves pointers
+/// without a basic_json value (such as the zero-copy view)
+struct json_pointer_access
+{
+    template<typename RefStringType>
+    static const std::vector<typename json_pointer<RefStringType>::string_t>& reference_tokens(const json_pointer<RefStringType>& ptr) noexcept
+    {
+        return ptr.reference_tokens;
+    }
+};
+}  // namespace detail
+
 NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index 9d63f822b..e0897a2d9 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -20153,6 +20153,11 @@ NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END
 
 NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_BEGIN
 
+namespace detail
+{
+struct json_pointer_access;
+}  // namespace detail
+
 /// @brief JSON Pointer defines a string syntax for identifying a specific value within a JSON document
 /// @sa https://json.nlohmann.me/api/json_pointer/
 template<typename RefStringType>
@@ -20165,6 +20170,8 @@ class json_pointer
     template<typename>
     friend class json_pointer;
 
+    friend struct detail::json_pointer_access;
+
     template<typename T>
     struct string_t_helper
     {
@@ -21293,6 +21300,20 @@ inline bool operator<(const json_pointer<RefStringTypeLhs>& lhs,
 }
 #endif
 
+namespace detail
+{
+/// the reference tokens of a json_pointer, for code that resolves pointers
+/// without a basic_json value (such as the zero-copy view)
+struct json_pointer_access
+{
+    template<typename RefStringType>
+    static const std::vector<typename json_pointer<RefStringType>::string_t>& reference_tokens(const json_pointer<RefStringType>& ptr) noexcept
+    {
+        return ptr.reference_tokens;
+    }
+};
+}  // namespace detail
+
 NLOHMANN_JSON_NAMESPACE_END
 
 // #include <nlohmann/detail/json_ref.hpp>